Communication systems and architectures have become increasingly important in today's society. One aspect of communications relates to maximizing bandwidth and minimizing delays associated with data and information exchanges. Many architectures for effectuating proper data exchanges add significant overhead and cost in accommodating a large number of end-users or data streams. For example, a large number of T1/E1 lines may be implemented to accommodate heavy traffic, but such lines are generally expensive and, thus, usage of each one should be maximized in order to achieve optimal system performance. In the context of such optimizations, a number of competing protocols may be used to process and to route traffic. In some cases, such protocols may be at odds with each other such that certain network operations are redundant or certain network benefits are diminished. This results in poor system performance as these protocols do not cooperate effectively.
Accordingly, the ability to provide a communications system that consumes few resources, that optimizes bandwidth, and that achieves effective cooperation amongst protocols presents a significant challenge for network operators, service providers, and system administrators.